When Singh accuses Kashmir of lying, Ganga takes a U-turn, and Jasrotia fumbles

Srinagar, Apr 13: Forest Minister, Lal Singh, on Friday said the “talks going on in Kashmir on Kathua rape and murder case were all wrong”.
Speaking to The Kashmir Monitor, Singh said: “Whatever is being talked about (the case) in Kashmir is all wrong. Do one thing, go to Kathua, meet the people there and write what the truth is.”
Singh ended the conversation when questioned about his stand on the case, especially after the charge-sheet revealed the gory details about how the 8-year-old shepherd girl was abducted, gang-raped in a religious place and murdered by a group of accused including cops.
On January 10, the child was abducted in Rassana village of district Kathua. On January 17, her battered body was found in the bushes near her home.
On March 4, Singh and Commerce and Industries Minister, Chander Prakash Ganga, attended a pro-rapist rally organised by the Hindu Ekta Manch, a group created to shield the conspiracy, in Kathua’s Hiranagar.
A video of the protest shows Ganga, amidst cheers by the public, calling the CB investigation “jungle raj”, while Singh was instigating the crowd to organise more protests.
Apart from openly castigating an ongoing investigation, the ministers also violated section 144 of CrPC that had been imposed in the area.
Ganga, who did not return multiple calls and messages from this reporter, has taken a U-turn on his earlier stand.
The BJP minister, who had been demanding CBI enquiry in the case, told a New Delhi-based news channel on Thursday that he “never demanded CBI probe and that he is satisfied with the investigation”.
“I never asked for the CBI probe in the…case. I am satisfied with the investigations of government. The culprits should be hanged,” the minister was seen saying in the video.
Rajiv Jasrotia, MLA Kathua, who was spearheading the pro-accused protests and shared the stage with Singh and Ganga, too has taken a U-turn and was found short of words on Friday.
Asked what his stand on the case was, Jasrotia told The Kashmir Monitor that “he did not support the protest”.
“I was called to attend it (the protest). And attending it does not mean I support it,” he said.
Asked if that meant he supported the CB probe so far, all Jasrotia could say was “the case is subjudice”.
He fumbled and had no reply when asked how he had attended the pro-accused protest in March since the case was subjudice even then.